for his daughter in a matter which God and common sense never gave him: for, contrary to this, the apoftle fays, "let them marry." And again," to keep his own virginity," or virgin-state: and again," hath power over his own will," i. e. hath the gift of continence.

Heb. ix. 15--18.

COMMON TRANSLATION.

"And for this caufe he is the mediator of the new tellament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the tranfgreffions that were under the firft teftament, they which are called might receive the promife of eternal inheritance. For where a teftament is, there muft alfo of neceflity be the death of the teftator. For a teftament is of force after men are dead; otherwise it is of no ftrength at all while the teltator liveth."

SCARLETT'S TRANSLATION.

"And for this end he is the mediator of a new (dialnans) covenant, that, death being undergone for the expiation of tranfgreffions under the first covenant, they who are called might receive the promise of an æonian inheritance. For where there is a covenant, it is neceffary to exhibit the death of the (dab) appointed victim: becaufe a covenant is confirmed over dead victims; fince it is not valid, while the appointed victim is alive."

I agree with Mr. Scarlett, that damen must be tranflated covenant, not teftament. And as diabeer is derived from the fame root, and is a participial adjective, it should be translated appointed, or rendered by fome word equivalent thereto; because it is evident the apostle alludes here to the custom used by parties who entered into covenant of old; there being always death or a dead victim on the occafion.

They flew fome beast, and split it from the head to the tail; then laying the pieces asunder, they entered and met each other between these pieces, and there ratified or confirmed the covenant or agreement.

"God faid to Abram, Take me an heifer, a fhe-goat, and a ram and Abram took thefe, and divided them in the midft, and laid each piece one against another: and when the fun went down, and it was dark, a smoaking furnace and a burning lamp paffed between those pieces, and the Lord made a covenant with Abram." See Gen. xv. 9, 10, 17, 18. Alfo Jer. xxxiv. 18---21. "The men that have tranfgreffed, and not performed the words of the covenant which they made before VOL. III. U

me

me when they cut the calf in twain, and paffed between the parts thereof, will I give into the hands of their enemies."

The reasons for giving the fpeakers, or, as the British Critic expreffes it," printing the hiftorical parts of the Teftament like a play," we will give in Mr. S.'s own words--.

"To unlearned readers the perfonifying, or putting the name of the speaker, may be very ufeful, as they will thereby often understand what they read at the first glance, the fubject matter being feen in a clearer point of view, and fuch light caft upon it, that there will be little need for further expofition. By this method the mind is more likely to be impressed than it . otherwife would be; therefore to perfons who have little time to fpare, it may be very useful. It is alfo a kind of index in directing the accent of the voice; for in many places of Scripture it is neceffary to confider not only the fubject, but who is the fpeaker, to whom spoken, the time when fpoken, and the time spoken of; therefore, perfonifying is a great affiftant here. In fome places, indeed, it may appear unneceflary; neverthelefs, to be uniform, it was requifite to perfonify the whole. If it fhould be objected, that repeating the names of the fpeakers interrupts the connection in reading, let any perfon, who reads aloud for the use of others, omit the perfons who fpeak, and read on, as in other editions of the Teftament: and a child may be taught to do this in half an hour." Preface, p. ix.

Query---Had the British Critic read this when he fo gravely afked the above question?

Many fentences in the Bible, particularly in the writings of Solomon, have been misunderstood, or fuppofed, by inattentive readers, to be the fentiment of the facred writers; whereas they are only quoted or introduced as the fayings of infidels or profane perfons, and are then answered by the inspired pen

men.

If the British Critic had adverted to Mr. Scarlett's Preface, p. ix. he would also have seen his reafons for dividing the work into fections. He placed a title over each, expreffive of what he conceived to be the leading feature of that fection, hoping it would be found useful in general---being like a candle properly placed, giving light to the fubject, and the fubject reflecting light or confirmation on the title.

Suppofing, as an elucidation of this, the British Critic had brought forward--

Hift.Then Jefus was led up by the Spirit into the desart, t☛ be tempted by the devil." P. 15.

John.And when he opened the fecond feal," &c. P. 460. 86 THE SEVENTH TRUMPET SOUNDED.

John.---And the feventh angel founded." P. 467.

He might have afked what benefit, or (to use the editor's own language) "What light can the above titles give? Do not the first words recite the substance of the paragraph?"

But will any difcerning or attentive perfon fay, that all the titles are of this defcription! Certainly not There are many valuable ones, which will speak for themselves.

"815. THE SEALED BOOK OF GOD'S PURPOSES OPENED BY THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, AND THE THANKSGIVING OF THE WHOLE CREATION, IN THEIR PROPER ORDER, IN CONSEQUENCE OF IT.

CH. V. 1.

John.---And I faw on the right hand of him that fat upon the throne, a book written within and without, fealed with feven feals. And I faw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice,

Mighty Angel.---Who is worthy to open the book, and to loofe the feals thereof?

John.---And no one in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look into it. And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the book, nor to look into it. And one of the elders faid

to me,

Elder.---Weep not,---behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven feals thereof.

John. And I beheld, and lo! in the midft of the throne, and of the four animate beings, and in the midst of the elders, a lamb ftanding as it had been flain, having seven horns and feven eyes, which are the feven fpirits of God, fent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him who fat, upon the throne. And when he received the book, the four animate beings and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one a harp, and golden phials full of perfumes, which are the prayers of the faints. And they fung a new fong, faying,

Elders and Animate Beings.---Thou art worthy to receive the book, and to open the feals thereof; because thou wait flain, and haft redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every tribe, and language, and people, and nation; and haft made us kings and priests to our God, and we fhall reign on the earth.

John. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels, and of the animate beings, and the elders around the throne;

and

and their number was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, faying with a loud voice,

1

Angels, Animate Beings, and Elders.---The Lamb that was flain is worthy to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and ftrength, and honour, and glory, and praise.

John. And I heard every creature which is in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, even all things in them, faying,

Univerfal Chorus.---Bleffing and honour, and glory, and ftrength, be to Him who fitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, to the ages of ages!

John---And the four animate beings faid,
Animate Beings.---Amen!

John.---And the twenty-four elders fell down and worship ped Him who liveth to the ages of ages." P. 459.

We are perfuaded that the above fection will fhew the general utility of the titles prefixed, and alfo of perfonif, ing, notwithstanding the British Critic fays, that this is a strange method.

The British Critic concludes his few obfervations with a figh, feeling that, though he fet out with a pompous flourish, he had little or nothing to say.

"Parturiunt montes; nafcitur ridiculus mus."

W. VIDLER.

CONTROVERSY ON PSALM xlix. 19.

DEAR SIR,

(Continued from p. 120.)

AM exceedingly forry, that so great a part of your Miscel

has been occupied by a ftrife about words. In order (if poffible) to bring the controversy to a conclufion, I fhall lay before you, in a plain and concise manner, fome account of the different works of Pagninus and Montanus, which may not be uninteresting to fome of your readers.

-

Pagninus, a Dominican, first published his verfion of the Hebrew Scriptures in the year 1577, with two Epiftles of the two Popes, Adrian VI. and Clement VII. in the beginning of the book, who both ftrengthen his edition of the Bible with their authority; and indeed, before this time Leo X. that great friend to learning, had approved Pagninus's defign of making a new tranflation from the Hebrew original. It is evident, as

well

well from the epiftle which Francifcus Picus wrote to Pagninus, as from the latter himself, that he spent at ieaft thirty years on that work; and, fo faithful was this tranflation reckoned, that it even had the approbation of the Jews of that age as an accurate piece.

Arias Montanus was not, ftrictly fpeaking, author of a new tranflation of the Scriptures; but (probably fearing the outcry of innovation, had he put forth his work as fuch) corrected Pagninus's verfion; but fo confiderably different in many places, as not to bear the leaft refemblance: for inftance, in Exod. ix. 39. where Pagninus tranflates, "novi quia nondum timeatis,” I know because ye will not yet fear, Montanus corrects to "novi quia antequàm tuneatis," I know because ye fear before that. Again, in Pfalın cx. 4. Pagninus has, "tu es facerdos in feculum fecundum morem Melchifedec," thou art a priest to the age after the manner of Melchifedec, which the corrector alters to, CC tu es facerdos in feculum tuper verbum meurn, Melchifedec," thou art a priest to the age upon my word, O Melchifedec; and in many other places: fo in the paflage under notice, PAGNINUS has," qui ufque in feculum non videbunt lumen," which MONTANUS has altered to "ufque in æternum non videbunt lumen."

This being the cafe, and I flatter myself my opponent will not deny it, Pagninus cannot be fuppofed to be answerable for that which another was the author of many years after his death, i. e. for any thing differing from him in the interlineary verfion; confequently, Arius Montanus, his corrector, must: accordingly, the quotation I make is to be found in the authority I refer to, viz, in Pagninus; but my opponent's quotation is a correction of Montanus's, and Pagninus, confequently, cannot be anfwerable for it.

To fhew that it is the practice of the learned to refer to these as two different authorities, I refer to Dr. Pococke, in his Commentary on Hofea: when he quotes the original work he fays, "Vid. Pagnin." but when that of Montanus, he does it thus, " Vid. Interlin.' And they are referred to thus diftinctly very often in the fame page.

But I have no occafion to go fo far back to prove that these are different authorities---I will refer the Lover of Lex Talionis to a book written by a gentleman, whofe learning and judgment I dare fay HE will not difpute, viz. Mr. JOHN CUE, in his Answer to Mr. Marfom; where (p. 52) he says, speak. ing of Melchifedec---" His name is again introduced upon a most extraordinary occafion, Pfalm cx. 4. where Jehovah his

Father